His words gave her so much shock, and immediately dispelled any tender feelings she was experiencing towards him .He said coolly with a glance at his watch, 'I've lined up a marriage at the temple, and the priest is expecting us in exactly fifty-five minutes. We don't have much time to chat.
''You've what?' she gasped incredulously.
"I... No! I'm not marrying you! I'm,'' Riya said a bit worried of the situation she was in.
"I know," Arjun said tautly, "You were expecting to marry Vishal in some few hours. He'll survive being left virtually at the altar, believe me. He'll survive because he doesn't love you!"
"We are getting married right now, let's go. It seems that you are already ready on top," Arjun said without mincing his words at all.
"Aap pagal to nahin ho gaye! I'm not going anywhere with you! Go away before i call everyone here!" Riya lied.
Arjun stifled a smile and said, "Noone is here, you are all alone in this house! I have driven so far for you. Dont waste more time! You are coming with me, going to live with me for the rest of your life. Now you decide whether you want to come with me by getting married or without marriage!"
"Dekhiye," she said shakily, and backed away from him, as he advanced towards her with the hard light of battle in his eyes, "can't we discuss this at least?" she pleaded huskily.
"As you already know," he said dryly, and took her chin in his fingers, "I'm not a great one with words. But I'll say this Riya,' she flinched at the mockery in his voice, "there'll be no discussion! Now decide, what do we do? Do i carry you off or you'll not only come willingly but will participate as well!"
He said the words quietly, but Riya had no doubt he meant every one of them.
"Hmmm, for once you're without words. Acha laga!" He stood back and gestured with his arm. "Ab chalen Miss Riya? And don't bother about making any explanatory phone calls. You can call anyone as soon as the wedding rituals are done!"
Riya stared blindly down at the mangalsutra in her neck, and he fingers even touched the sindoor in her mang. It didn't seem possible, and yet the impossible had happened. She had been married to Arjun Ratwe an hour earlier and she was now back in the SUV on the way back to her house.
"Now you can go and make any calls you want! And then after taking the blessings of your mother, we'd also be returning back to our home!" Arjun said while he was driving.
They had just reached Riya's house, and was getting down when Riya's mother came running towards them shouting, "Riya kahan thi tum! You know how scared i was!" and then stopped when she saw the mangalsutra and sindoor.
"Riya, yeh sab kya hein? Tum ne yeh kab kiya?" Riya's mother asked hysterically.
"How can you do something like that, that too without informing me!" Riya's mother said with tears, when Arjun stopped her, "Nahin Aunty-ji. She's not to be blamed. I forced her to marry me. But then she'd never have been happy with Vishal. They didnt love each other. I love your daughter and she loves me! I promise i'll always keep her happy!" Arjun said solemnly.
"Riya, yeh kya bol raha hein?" Riya's mother said after digesting Arjun's words.
"Aunty i know all this sounds very strange, and how this may not look well in other people's eyes, but Riya will not be marrying Vishal now!" Arjun said.
"Well of course, she's not gonna marry him now, she had already stopped everything just this morning!" Riya's mother said in between Arjun's words.
"Hein, i know how hurt you will be and all, but trust me i really love your daughter," Arjun was saying not having paid heed to Riya's mother's words until it was now.
"Kya? No marriage!" Arjun suddenly said.
"Hein i'm not getting married to Vishal, had you let me speak earlier, i would have told you all this!" Riya said finally.
"You mean i forced you for marriage for no reason!" Arjun said confused.
"Jee hain! But doesn't matter, i was always yours Arjun," Riya said, "But now it's your fault and your responsibility to pacify my mother! She had huge dreams about my marriage!"
Arjun stared guiltily at Riya and her mother, "Oh god, yeh maine kya kar diya!"
He turned so that his back was facing those ladies, and then after a deep breath he turned back to face them with a sheepish smile.
After a few hours
Arjun was sitting on the couch. He thanked god that his mother-in-law had been very lenient, she had pulled his ears and made some lectures, and some crying scenes, but then after many apologies, she had finally relented. She had made them come inside and done all rituals for welcoming them. He looked at Riya who was sitting on the chair opposite to him. They were alone now. Riya's mother had gone to prepare lunch.
"So wife, you and Vishal weren't going to get married! When and why did all this happened!" Arjun finally asked.
"I did come here, leaving everything behind to marry Vishal. But two days back, at night Vishal came to visit me," Riya said and told Arjun everything that happened.
Two nights back
It was almost time to sleep, when Vishal came to visit Riya.
"Kya hua Vishal? Sab theek to hein? Your mum and dad?" Riya asked.
"Hein woh theek hein! And the house your family looked for us also is very nice. But i didnt come here to speak about the accommodations!" Vishal said gently.
He came to stand close to Riya, and had cupped her face asking, "Riya are you happy? Do you love me? Will you be able to spend your whole life with me?"
Riya had been so shocked at his questions, she had released herself from his hold and turned so that her back was facing him.
"Of course Vishal, mein khush hoon. But why all this," Riya said not daring to look into his eyes.
Vishal had grabbed her arm and forced her to turn and look in his eyes, "Then why cant you look into my eyes Riya?"
After some time, Riya finally managed to look into his eyes, and though she tried, she was unable to hide her pain and everything else. Vishal released her gently and went to sit in the nearest chair he could find.
"Kyun Ri? Why were you going to destroy your life? For whom? For me?" Vishal said.
"Nahin it's not that Vishal. But when you came into my life and saved me by staking your life, i couldn't draw back from this relation at all," Riya said sadly.
"But did i ask you anything! Protecting and saving you was my duty as your fiance and a human Riya. i never expected you to sacrifice anything because of this!" Vishal said unhappily.
Riya went towards Vishal, and bent down on her knees, so that her eyes were at same level as Vishal.
"Riya, are you happy? And this time no lying!" Vishal asked.
"I dont know," Riya said confused.
"Meaning you are not happy. Why didnt you tell me that you loved Arjun?" Vishal enquired.
Please scroll down for more
Riya was too shocked to say anything. She stared for a long time in Vishal's eyes not knowing what to do or to say. She thought she had been very good at hiding her feelings, but she could now see that she wasn't a good actress. And that's when she broke down completely. All her pain, her fears came forward in her tears and she replied very incoherently to Vishal.
But Vishal managed to get his answer. He pulled Riya up by holding her arms, and made her cry on his shoulders. When Riya's tears had stopped, Vishal released her and caressed her cheek lightly saying, "Bewakuf ladki. Not everyone gets their love in this world, and you are giving up yours for me! Even i'm not worthy of this Riya! I'm nothing more but a human, who can make good deeds and mistakes also!"
"If i tell you are free and you dont need to marry me, what will you do?" Vishal asked gently.
Riya's eyes started to fill up again, "Oh no, dont start with the tears again! Kitna rhoti ho tum ladkiyons!" Vishal joked.
He bent and kissed Riya's forehead, "Arjun is someone lucky. I wish you all the happiness with him. But do tell him that if he ever hurts you, he'll have to face me!" and went away.
Back to present
"So it seems i own him again!" Arjun said with a smile, "he's a wonderful man!"
"Yes he sure is," Riya said with a smile.
"To ab kya karein? I mean what's the next step," Arjun asked.
"We have lunch, then we go to our home," Riya said happily.
Arjun raised his both hands so that Riya knew he needed to take her in his arms. Riya walked to him and sat next to him on the couch. Within minutes she was in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. Both savoured this moment, they were happy and at peace after so many troubles.
"Arjun, i love you a lot," Riya said in his shoulder.
"And i love you too my wife," Arjun replied and kissed her hair, "and i'll be only happy to prove it for the remaining of my life."
While somewhere else in the hospital
It was almost noon, Kaveri was sitting in her office all alone. She opened up a drawer and took out Vishal and Riya's wedding card. If she wasn't wrong, then Vishal and Riya must be almost halfway in their marriage. She had been too late, and anyway she was no longer worthy of Vishal now. Maybe he and Riya will be very happy together. She certainly wished them all the happiness in the world.
A lone tear fell from her eye, and she raised her hand to wipe it. She put the wedding card back in her drawer and closed the drawer. It was time she moved on now, Vishal was off limits as from now. She was lost in her thoughts, when suddenly her phone started to ring.
She picked up the phone and said, "Hello, Doctor Kaveri speakin."
"Doctor your next patient is here, shall i send him in," her secretary asked.
"Ok, send him in!" Kaveri said, and taking a mirror, she cleaned her face of any marks.
She turned and put a smile on her face for her next patient. But her smile immediately faded when she saw her patient.
"Tum yahan? Lekin kaise? You should have been there," she said confused.
"I'm damn hungry. Will you have lunch with me? We have lots of things to say to each other. A huge time span to catch up with," Vishal said gently.
"Lekin tum yahan?" Kaveri asked.
"Hain, and if you accept i'm willing to talk about everything at lunch. To chale?" Vishal persisted.
Kaveri didnt believe her own eyes, Vishal was here, in front of her eyes. She was happy knowing Vishal didnt marry Riya. She called her secretary, and told her that she'd be going out. Kaveri took her bag and both went out for lunch.
None knew what awaited them in their future, but Kaveri knew that she was being given a second choice. And this time she wont make any mistakes nor let anyone poison her mind against Vishal.
"Maybe miracles did happen," she whispered to herself.
"Yes miracles do happen!" Vishal said back with a smile.
The End
Please excuse me for any spelling mistakes😳
so how was it?😳
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